Rutland Driveways & Landscaping 07312 132517 Site visit
Lit porcelain terrace and outdoor sofas behind a stone house at dusk
Rutland · Stamford · Oakham

Garden lighting

Garden lighting is cheapest when the ducting goes in as the patio, steps and walls are built; adding it later means lifting paving.

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Garden lighting is cheapest when the ducting goes in as the patio, steps and walls are built; adding it later means lifting paving. We design it as a scheme of a few well-placed fittings, with the electrical work done and certified by a registered electrician.

Best time
When the base goes down
Electrics
Registered electrician, certified
Guarantee
5 years, in writing

Our 2026 guide prices where shown. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit.

Garden lighting

Light that works

Step and riser lights for safety, low uplighters on trees and walls, and soft light around seating areas, rather than a floodlit garden. Low-voltage fittings keep running costs small.

Garden lighting

Planned with the build

Ducts and junction boxes go in with the sub-base, so cables never sit under slabs where they cannot be reached, and nothing has to be lifted later.

Recent finishes

The kind of finish we build

Lit porcelain terrace and outdoor sofas behind a stone house at dusk
Lit porcelain terrace and outdoor sofas behind a stone house at dusk
Porcelain steps with recessed lights
Porcelain steps with recessed lights
Sleeper retaining walls with lit steps up to a lawn
Sleeper retaining walls with lit steps up to a lawn
Garden transformation with a lit porcelain seating area and lawn at dusk
Garden transformation with a lit porcelain seating area and lawn at dusk
★★★★★

Rated 5.0 from 37 Google reviews

“Well what can I say about Rutland driveways that would make you seriously consider using them for your project I contacted them had a meeting with the team who was very informative with the level of inspiration I had ideas they had ideas and recommendations we bounced ideas to come up with the best option possible for my …”

Steven · Drive, walkway, patio and garden — Google review

“Guys have done an amazing job with my back garden very pleased with finished product very professional”

Kim · Back garden — Google review
Read the reviews
Questions

Things people ask us

How much does garden lighting cost?
A garden lighting scheme for a patio, steps and a few feature lights is usually up to about £1,500, and lighting a whole garden typically runs from £2,000 to £6,000 or more. It costs least when the cable ducts go in while the patio, steps and walls are being built, rather than being chased in afterwards. The garden lighting cost guide breaks the figures down.
Can you add lighting to an existing patio?
Yes, around the edges, in walls and in beds. Lights set into the paving itself usually mean lifting slabs.
Do I need an electrician to install garden lighting?
For anything wired to the mains, yes: a new outdoor circuit is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so it must be installed and self-certified by a registered electrician or approved by building control. Plug-in low-voltage kits running from a transformer on an existing indoor socket are not notifiable. On our schemes the electrical work is done and certified by a registered electrician, and the certificate is yours to keep.
Is low-voltage or mains garden lighting better?
Low-voltage lighting, at 12 or 24 volts, is the better choice for most gardens: it is safer around soil, water and spades, the cable is easier to run, and fittings can be moved as planting grows. Mains lighting suits brighter fittings, long runs to the far end of a big garden and outdoor sockets. Most schemes use both: a mains supply to a weatherproof transformer, then low-voltage cable out to the lights.
Are solar garden lights worth it?
For marking a path or adding a glow to a border, solar lights are fine, but they are not a substitute for a wired scheme. In a UK winter they get too little daylight to charge, so they fade early in the evening just when you want them, and most are too dim to light steps safely. Wired low-voltage LED fittings give reliable, controllable light all year for very little running cost.
What IP rating do outdoor garden lights need?
Look for at least IP65 on wall, spike and post lights exposed to rain, and IP67 or IP68 for lights set into paving, decking or the ground, where water can sit around them; anything in a pond needs a fitting rated for permanent submersion. The first digit covers dust and the second water. Cheap fittings often fail where the cable enters, so sealed glands and connections matter as much as the rating.
How deep should outdoor electric cable be buried?
Mains cable in a garden is usually armoured cable buried around 450–600mm deep, deeper where it could be dug into, with warning tape laid above it. The wiring regulations do not set one fixed depth, only that the cable is protected from damage, so routes along borders or in ducts under paving are planned to keep clear of spades and fence posts. Low-voltage lighting cable can run shallower, ideally in ducts.
How do I stop garden lights bothering neighbours or wildlife?
Point fittings down and away from neighbouring windows, use shielded or recessed fittings rather than floodlights, and choose warm white light of around 2700–3000K. Put the scheme on a timer or dusk sensor so it is not on all night. A few low lights by seating and steps cause far less glare than lighting the whole garden. Bright, badly aimed lights can be a statutory nuisance, and they disturb bats and moths too.
How long do LED garden lights last?
Good LED garden lights last many years, because the LEDs themselves are rated for tens of thousands of hours, which is well over a decade of evening use. What usually fails first is the fitting rather than the light source: water getting into cheap housings, corroded connections or plastic going brittle in the sun. Fittings in marine-grade stainless steel, brass or solid aluminium with sealed connections last far longer than budget sets.
Does garden lighting need planning permission?
No, ordinary garden lighting does not need planning permission. The rules that apply are electrical: a new outdoor mains circuit must be installed and certified by a registered electrician. At a listed building, fixing lights to the house or historic walls may need listed building consent, and in conservation areas such as Stamford's, small, discreet fittings sit better against stone. Lights that cause glare for neighbours can be treated as a nuisance.
When is the best time to install garden lighting?
The best time is while a patio, path, steps or walls are being built, because ducts and junction boxes go in with the sub-base and no cable ends up trapped under slabs. Lights can still be added to an existing garden around the edges, in beds and on walls, but lights set into existing paving usually mean lifting slabs. Planning lighting at design stage also puts each fitting where it actually works.
Guide prices

What garden lighting costs

A path, step and border lighting scheme typically costs up to about £1,500 installed, and a full multi-zone garden scheme £2,000–£6,000 or more. A new outdoor circuit is priced separately.

Garden lighting does not need planning permission, but a new outdoor mains circuit is notifiable electrical work, so it is done and certified by a registered electrician. Keep lights pointing down and away from neighbours' windows.

Guide prices from 2026 online price guides, at the higher end. Your fixed price comes in writing after the site visit.

By area

Garden lighting near you

Prices

What garden lighting cost

Our garden lighting cost guide breaks the price down: what is included, what changes it and what to check in any quote.

Request a site visit

We measure up, check levels and drainage, and send a written proposal with the build-up, the programme and one whole price. No pressure and no follow-up sales calls.

Request a site visit Call 07312 132517
☎Call 07312 132517 Site visit